Exploration of nociceptive and non-nociceptive cortical processing with steady-state evoked potentials
(2011) UCL meets UCL meeting — Location: University College of London (4.May.2011)
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- The periodic presentation of a sensory stimulus induces, at certain frequencies of stimulation, a sustained electroencephalographic response known as steady-state evoked potentials (SS-EP). In the somatosensory, visual and auditory modalities, SS-EPs are considered to reflect entrainment of cortical sensory networks resonating at the frequency of stimulation. In the present study we characterize and compare SS-EPs elicited by the selective electrical activation of nociceptive Aδ-fibers and non-nociceptive Aβ-fibers. Nine subjects took part in the experiment. Ten second trains of nociceptive (intra-epidermal electrical stimulation) and non-nociceptive (transcutaneous electrical stimulation) stimuli were applied to the left and right hand in separate blocks. Trains consisted of 0.5 ms constant-current pulses modulated at 3, 7, 13, 23 and 43 Hz. The magnitude, scalp topography and temporal dynamics of the elicited SSEPs were compared across conditions.Consistent nociceptive and non-nociceptive SS-EPs were recorded at all stimulation frequencies. Whereas non-nociceptive SSEPs were maximal over the parietal region contralateral to the stimulated side, nociceptive SS-EPs were maximal at the vertex and symmetrically distributed over both hemispheres, thus indicating that the two responses reflect the entrainment of distinct neuronal populations. For both types of SS-EPs, the signal-to-noise was smaller at 7 and 13 Hz, possibly because of background alpha-band activity. Unlike conventional nociceptive event-related potentials, nociceptive SSEPs did not habituate, suggesting that they reflect more obligatory stages of sensory processing. The recording of nociceptive and non-nociceptive somatosensory SS-EPs offers a unique opportunity to study the cortical representation of nociception and touch in humans.
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Colon, E., & Mouraux, A. (2011). Exploration of nociceptive and non-nociceptive cortical processing with steady-state evoked potentials. UCL meets UCL meeting, University College of London. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/194449